Mickelson, Woods battling to stay on top of golf games - USA TODAY
SAN DIEGO â€" In some golf circles the curtains are being drawn on the careers of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the titanic figures who have commanded the brightest spotlight on the PGA Tour's stage the past 20 years.
A bit premature?
Absolutely. We're talking about two of the best players of all time, after all, two players who work hard, are abundantly talented and to this day remain hungry for more conquests.
But the past 13 months have provided some measure of reason for those who are confident Woods and Mickelson are in their final acts.
Age offers another rationale to at least question the futures of the two best players of their generation, with Woods less than a year from turning 40 and Mickelson turning 45 in June.
More basis for the hasty obits: Woods' body has been breaking down at an alarming rate since 2010, while Mickelson battles arthritis every day.
It just hasn't been a pretty picture of the two for some time now.
Last year, the duo combined for exactly one top-10 finish on the PGA Tour â€" Mickelson's gallant effort in the PGA where he finished second. Equally alarming is the fact Woods has finished the final round in an official Tour event only twice in the last 503 days.
This year, Woods is dealing with chipping woes that make him look like a beginner. He missed the cut in the Waste Management Phoenix Open â€" the first time in his pro career that he missed consecutive cuts â€" and shot his highest score, 82, in the second round.
This week at Torrey Pines, he withdrew on his 12th hole in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open when he tweaked his back â€" his third withdrawal due to injury in his last nine events.
Technically, his chipping is caught, he said, between old and new patterns as he changes his swing again. He was all geared up to go this week â€" until his back went out, adding another layer to his misery.
Mickelson, meanwhile, missed the cut at both events and can't putt.
"It's very frustrating for me right now," Mickelson said Friday after his 74-72 sent him home for the week. "I felt very ready for the start of the year. But my putting is pathetic right now. If I can't get it back to my putting levels in 2013, I don't know what I'll do … You just can't compete out here putting the way I'm putting the ball."
Since the start of 2014, Woods, who won five times in 2013 and was the player of the year as voted by his peers, has looked like a wounded warrior. Mickelson has looked lethargic and uninspired, leading many to question what was wrong with Phil instead of asking what will Phil do next?
But done they are not. Not yet. Together, the two have won 19 majors and 121 PGA Tour titles.
Woods, with 14 majors and 79 wins, is chasing Jack Nicklaus (record 18 majors) and Sam Snead (record 82 Tour wins).
Mickelson, with 42 wins, is chasing 50 Tour titles and an elusive U.S. Open that would complete a career Grand Slam.
Woods said last week and earlier this week his surgically repaired back was fine and he was healthy, which is why he said he got his speed back and was pounding the ball again off the tee.
On Thursday he said he couldn't activate his glutes and thus his back tightened to the point he couldn't continue. We don't know what he'll say, or when and where, next. If the back spasms were a one-time deal, will see him grinding again. If he takes care of his chipping problems, we'll see him win again.
As for Mickelson, he has been saying for three weeks now that he's happy where his game is at but he just can't score. He's also been saying he's making dumb little mistakes, like the five 3-putts he had this week. Or having a 7-iron in for his second shot on a par-5 and leaving with a par.
The two won't play the next two weeks.
Mickelson, after spending time with his family during his three kids' spring breaks, will return at the Honda Classic in three weeks. So will Woods, his back willing.
It's been quite a run for the two â€" and for golf fans the world over. But both have slumped before and will slump again. But neither is ready to ride off into the sunset just yet.
PHOTOS: This week at the Farmers Insurance Open
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